--- title: "Spain snatched victory from Belgium in the final minutes to reach the 2026 World Cup semi-finals" description: "Spain beat Belgium in a dramatic match and reached the 2026 World Cup semi-finals! πŸ‡ͺπŸ‡Έβš½ The decisive goal was scored by Merino in the 88th minute after Courtois's injury. Next up is a match against France! πŸ”₯" date: 2026-07-11T06:22:00.000Z lang: en url: https://xab.info/en/posts/spain-snatched-victory-from-belgium-in-the-final-minutes-to-reach-the-2026-world-cup-semi-finals tags: [] publisher: "XAB.info" --- # Spain snatched victory from Belgium in the final minutes to reach the 2026 World Cup semi-finals ![Spanish national team players discussing tactics before a decisive moment against Belgium at the 2026 World Cup](https://xab.info/media/2026/07/11/ispaniya-vyirvala-pobedu-u-belgii-v-koncovke-i-vyshla-v-polufinal-chm-2026/ispaniya-vyirvala-pobedu-u-belgii-v-koncovke-i-vyshla-v-polufinal-chm-2026-1.webp) The second semi-finalist of the FIFA World Cup has been decided. The Spanish national team, after a tense quarter-final match, managed to overcome the Belgian team. The decisive goal was scored in the final minutes, allowing the Spaniards to continue their fight for the tournament's main trophy. ### Drama in the goal and the first conceded goal The match started relatively calmly, but the first dangerous moment was created by the home team. Lamine Yamal shot low, but the ball went wide of the goal. Following this, the Spaniards struck the opponent ruthlessly: Pedro Porro set up Dani Olmo for a shot. Although the Belgian goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois handled the strike, Fabian Ruiz's follow-up proved too difficult for him β€” the score became 1-0. Belgium did not stay in debt and equalized shortly before halftime. Hakan De Ketelaere masterfully responded to a cross from Thibaut Castagne from the right flank, momentarily outpacing Cubarsi and heading the ball into the net. This event was a shock for the Spanish team β€” they conceded their first goal at the 2026 World Cup. ### Courtois injury and de la Fuente's joker The second half passed in intense struggle, but neither team could break through the opponent's defense. The course of the game changed radically in the 71st minute when the Belgian goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois suffered an injury and was forced to leave the field. This event deprived the team of one of its key defenders. In the 86th minute, the head coach of Spain, Luis de la Fuente, brought on his joker β€” Mikel Merino. It took him exactly two minutes to show his best qualities. A powerful shot from Cubarsi was saved by Lamens, but no one could stop Merino from scoring the decisive goal. The score became 2-1 in favor of Spain. ### The road to the final In the semi-finals, the Spanish national team will meet the French team, which previously defeated Morocco. This match is scheduled for July 14, starting at 22:00 Kyiv time. The other semi-final pair will be determined tomorrow morning: on Sunday night, Norway will play against England, and Argentina will meet Switzerland. The winners of these confrontations will play against each other in the World Cup semi-finals. Recall that the Brazilian national team decided on Carlo Ancelotti's future after being eliminated from the 2026 World Cup.